Does Fiber Really Fill You Up?

Though great for your digestive system and your heart, fiber-rich foods like beans and bran may not be the appetite-quashing superstars past reports would have you believe, finds a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Test subjects were given meal bars loaded with one of the four common types of dietary fibers—or no fiber at all, then were asked to rate their fullness at different times after each meal. The women didn't feel any more full after eating the fiber-rich meal bars, says study co-author Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., a professor of food science at Minnesota.

[sidebar]Fiber helps promote healthy digestion and may reduce your risk for heart disease, so don't stop eating it, Slavin advises. But if you want to feel full, how you eat your fiber is a lot more important than the type or amount of fiber you eat, she says. In a separate study, Slavin's team found that when women consumed the same amount of fiber in either a solid form (like oatmeal) or a liquid forms (like a shake), the solid foods stayed in the woman's digestive system one hour longer, and was more satisfying.

To get your fiber fix, aim for solid bran-fiber foods like bran cereals, peas, bran muffins, or real old-fashioned oatmeal with fruits like raspberries or pears, Slavin advises. Multiple studies, including one recent report from the University of Sydney, have also proved that protein is a great hunger-queller. Two eggs contain about 12 grams of protein. Legumes, nuts, and meats like chicken or beef are also great protein sources, according to the report.